Eric: "the suave delineator of chic femininity"

In Forty Illustrators and How They Work, author Ernest W. Watson writes, "There is no reason, of course, why the suave delineator of chic femininity, whose drawings for twenty years have given poignance to America's smartest fashion magazine, should not have been born in Joliet, Illinois."


"But it would not be expected. Such graphic sophistication one might insist must emanate from an artist Parisian born and Parisian bred."

"Erickson, as a matter of fact, has lived most of his professional life in France - from 1920, in the early years of his career, until 1940."


"With his wife and daughter he left France several weeks after its occupation by Hitler's legions; taking with him no more of his goods and chattels than could be jammed into a few suitcases."


"However, he had his fortune in his hands; he needed nothing but a brush and a little color to reestablish himself back home."

"Here he was right on Vogue's doorstep ready to continue his monthly contributions which have appeared in that magazine without interruption since 1923."


"He was also within arm's length of national advertisers who at once began to compete for his elegant drawings, as French merchants had done previously."


*Many thanks for all the entertaining and informative comments yesterday. For readers who missed them, they are well worth taking the time to read.

* Today's scans are courtesy of TI list member, Jeff Smith -- many thanks, Jeff!

My Carl Erickson Flickr set.